Kingdom Hearts: Torn Apart
by Seraphyne
Summary: Centuries have passed since the Last War between Good and the Darkness, but a prophecy reveals that another time will come, when a new Hero must face the challenges that the last Heroes left behind. Can Ladah live up to her ancestors' legacy?
1. Prologue, Chap 1 & Chap 2

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Torn Apart**

**By: SMS**

"**For without Darkness; there can be no Light…"**

**-Ansem the Wise**

**Prologue**

When the Last War of the Kingdom ended all that was left was Nothing. The Heroes of the battle left and lived there lives on various worlds far from the Mass. The Mass came into existence. As one generation lived and died out spawning a new generation, the Mass never changed. Hundreds of years passed before rumors among the worlds spread about the section of space that contained the Mass. By then no one remembered what had happened, but all knew the Legend. Still legends can be misleading and more often then not false. Questions were asked.

Where had the Mass come from? What had been there before the Mass? What or Who was responsible for that place? Would anything ever reside there again? Rumors were all the answers those questions got because they were ignored by the Kingdom. Passed down through the years was a secret. The newly appointed King was always informed of what had happened. Detailed journals were kept very secret as to the who, the why, the how, and to the Kingdom's fears, the when. It was in the Legend that the three journals belonged to the Hero, but then who can believe it? Why would they believe it when the newly appointed King denounced the fact that it was true. Who would question the new King, especially if the old beloved King agreed?

Centuries passed, the Legend continued to grow. The Mass just continued. Finally small things happened… Insignificant things that would later be revealed to hold powerful meaning to everything that would come in the future. Things that everyone would pass off as everyday occurrences. A baby girl was born. The new King was appointed and informed of the three journals. His awareness opening to the facts and the predictions. Three new Princesses on three different worlds were accepted into their Royal Family. All these changes were so insignificant and contained only within their own worldly realm, that no one noticed the exact time the Mass began to change.

At first only the nearest worlds questioned the flickering lights. No one ever really asked the main question because the lights were so sporadic that every so often they'd only glow once in a year. Other times it was more often. The lights were very faint as stars went in the night sky so that the only optimal time to view them was midnight when the moons were new. Hardly anyone in their right restful and peaceful mind would stay out that late, so the changes were not noted to the officials.

The next sign was, of course, increased lights. The brightness as well as the frequency. Still not bright enough to view during the day, the nearer worlds passed it off as comets on their way to a far off destination. If they had only knew. Near the space that contained the vast expanse of Mass, the Mass that ate all light that dared to shine its way, lived four worlds. Two very close worlds and two farther away. If those worlds had paid more attention to the changes taking place around the Mass, they would have realized that the bright lights were actually space debris (asteroids, rocks, metals, and such) burning up in the energy given off by the Mass. Then measures could have been taken. As it was, all the worlds within the near vicinity (counting over a hundred) saw the immense white light that blinded a few animals caught unawares.

The Mass exploded taking the four unsuspecting worlds with it. After the immense white light that lasted about ten seconds, all stars were dark. There was no light in the night sky. All the citizens of the worlds that the light had reached wondered what had happened, but unfortunately no one was close enough to witness. But if one could see in all the black they would witness a joining of matter. With more matter the object grew. There being no scale in this vast Mass, one would not be able to tell what size or how fast the object grew. As the object grew, lights appeared in the surrounding Mass; small flashes that pin pointed certain areas but would wink out before one could see anything. The flashes grew more numerous and finally one would be able to see that the Mass surrounding the object now contained swirl-y… things. Like clouds, one would think, but with a darkness so immense that all light from the flashes were sucked away. One would compare the scene to a thunderstorm on a distant world, but then there being no reference to what was happening, the idea seemed ridiculous… or was it?

The tiny flashes became streaks; long and jagged and then one would be correct in assuming that the streaks were lightning. A storm was raging around the object. A cosmic storm. This Mass had received sufficient energy in order to change. Metamorphose into something that wasn't there before. The object now resembled something that one had seen before. A planet. A planet so intensely dark that one would not want to dwell there; for surely this planet would not be like all the others: hospitable to sentient life forms. If one was observing and it was the one from long, long ago; then that one would not only recognize the planet and the darkness for what it was… He would recognize the purpose for this new planet.

**Chapter 1**

Everyone knew. They all knew. There was not a person within the whole system that did not know. The legend was… well legendary. That was what legends were after all. A story fact or fiction that was passed down from generation to generation; one that was held with high regard or whispered with reverence. This legend was the only legend that children always knew and fantasized about. Every little boy wanted to be the legendary Sora, though no one wanted to be Sora's best friend Riku. Every little girl wanted to be the fated love of Sora, Kairi; though no one acknowledged that Kairi ultimately ended up with Riku (that was the part that was whispered). But as all legends go, everyone questioned whether it was real or not. Did the Kingdom Hearts War actually occur? Was there actually a Sora and Kairi (and Riku, but again only the whispered ones asked this)? Was there a darkness within all hearts that could ultimately unlock the Heartless and the ever terrifying Nobodies?

Even though all the worlds were open to one another (though it was speculation as to whether the legendary Sora and his key opened them or not); the Kingdom was whole and everyone visited. The King was a generous… mouse and he made sure that there was little unrest within his domain. He also encouraged the legend. A proclamation that had been passed down by the Royal Family for eons was held that every year on the 14th of February (the human equivalent of Valentines' Day) there would be a celebration. It was called Heart Day. All who knew the whole legend understood that this was Sora Day, but everyone also knew that to call it so would make the King look weak (even though, it was whispered, that the Legendary King Mickey had fought right beside Sora).

So the legend was spread unceasingly from one world to the next, from one generation to the next. The not-so-well-known parts were also whispered along from one generation to the next, but only down one family line. The Royal Family also whispered it down but for different reasons; for King William knew, had known from the moment he took the throne, that the time of peace and happiness would soon be disturbed. This February 14th would most likely be the last this Kingdom would celebrate for a while.

Centuries Before

"You know of what I speak?" A tall man with an odd looking hat said to a very short mouse.

"Indeed I do. I figured, but how could I not let him rest and live his life peacefully? We had to call on him three times throughout his life and he unfailingly and sometimes unquestioningly took the burden and helped us all." The mouse hung his head at the knowledge that Kingdom Hearts was not yet fully safe.

"I agreed with you on that, but someone does need to warn them. Eventually they will resurface and if no one knows of what transpired these last ten years, then all will be lost. What we and they had fought for will be for nothing. I didn't want the vision, but none-the-less I got it and so our future holds in the balance. They as well as you and I will be long forgotten when this occurs and yet we must find a way to warn our descendents." The tall man hung his own head.

"Master Yen Sid, I will find a way to pass it down. My family will always know. The far distant King of that time and place will know his duty when the time comes. There is only one way to warn the family of the distant future though. We have to make it rumors. The only things that survive the tests of time are legends and rumors. Legends as we all know are always questioned but always hopeful. Rumors on the other hand… Rumors usually turn out to be true and believed far more than the legend."

"I think I understand what you are saying. It is fact that the one true love of the girl was not who we all thought it to be. Even after…"

"I've already consoled him numerous times. He's happy that he saved us all, but not happy with his life as it is now. I am deeply troubled that she would do that to him too."

"Then it's settled. The rumor will live with the Best Friend and not the Hero."

"I, King Mickey, declare that from this day forth. February 14th will be known as Heart Day. He will always be loved and remembered. The fate of the next battle will not be of his family. Peace is all I can give him now. Happiness is beyond my control." King Mickey sniffed with tears in his eyes. Master Yen Sid wrapped his arm around his grown apprentice with sorrow in his always cold eyes.

"She is the one who chose. She's the one who chooses now." He said as if closing that matter for discussion. The decision made that day would not hold any affect until centuries later, but all involved will eventually know the betrayal. And they would still love the Hero.

**Chapter 2**

A pop was all I heard as awareness struck me. I could feel my body. I shouldn't be able too, but I could. _That last move was fatal… I know it._ I thought as I experimented with movement. Disorientation swallowed my awareness. I felt sick, queasy. I stopped flailing and stood/laid/sat very still. Then I realized that my eyes were open, but there was nothing. _This is hell… or the Nobodies' equivalent of it anyway._ I thought. Then a blinding white light struck my eyes and I cried out. A sudden rush of noise tore into my head and I instinctively covered my ears. The sensations of touch were so overwhelming that I cried out again (feeling like a dumb-ass).

**THUD**

My chest lurched and it was agony...

**THUD**

My hands went to my chest where I knew there should be nothing, but now there was. A noise followed by a very painful hammer.

**THUD**

The sound was deafening. It drowned out all the other noise. I thought I heard a voice, but the noise and pain from my chest was all consuming.

**THUD**

Someone was screaming at me. I could tell it was a guy… I think. Now, along with my chest and sharp pain as the sound hammered my ribs, my throat hurt too. Wait, am I screaming like that?

**Thud**

I can tell that the noise is lessening. It's not as loud now. I stopped screaming at least. The pain was still too unbearable. My mind was reeling, like a movie. Playing back everything I had ever done and with each new scene the hammering of a spike went through my chest.

THUD

I was still crying out, but not because of the sound anymore. It was deafening… It was continuous. Something that would always be there… As well as the memories. Why oh why the memories?

Thud

The pain I realized was not because of the sound in my chest. It was feelings. The memories all bad. Everything I had done I was re-living them. I hated myself. Hate. I could hate!

THUD

And care!

Thud

And want!

THUD

And miss!

Thud

And… love. I was whole. I had a heart. I was now a Somebody… But how?


	2. Chapter 3

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Torn Apart**

**By: SMS**

**Chapter 3**

A party was taking place in the farthest reach of the main Island. Not too many people had been invited, for the guest of honor wasn't all too popular at school. She was turning seventeen years old and this was a big deal; to her parents anyway. She'd been able to drive a hover-bike since she was fifteen, but at seventeen she was a senior in school and it marked her as being an official adult. Her parents were rejoicing, but at the same time they couldn't help but feel as if they were losing their daughter.

To an outside observer, one that was familiar with the Last War, they would notice that Destiny Islands had changed… a lot. All the nearby islands were connected with gravi-bridges. The locals weren't limited to riding primitive boats across the channels anymore; there were plenty of hover-boats to go around. Every respectable family had at least two hover-boats and those that couldn't afford one, was able to rent them at the wharf. For those natives that didn't want to visit from one island to the next, they were able to log into their Portable ID screens and visit with just about everyone using the Intraface. The Intraface had been invented decades ago and by now almost all natives had at least one PID in which to access it. School was still set up the same way, with the same uniforms used from decades past. For some reason the funding for newer designed uniforms was always rerouted to the Resources Department of the Destiny Islands government.

Ladah (lay-dah) was in her room looking at all her posters and the mess that she should have cleaned up last night. Her mom had told her that if her room wasn't clean, she wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. Sometimes turning seventeen didn't make a bit of difference. She scowled at the thoughts running through her mind as she started picking up various pieces of laundry and flinging them into the receptacle that would whisk the offending articles away to be cleaned. Having cleared the floor of last weeks uniforms (thankfully she had a suit for each day of the week), Ladah turned to her desk and dresser. She usually kept her dresser pretty neat, being the place that housed her cosmetics and toiletries. Her desk, on the other hand, was horrible. Papers from forgotten stories mixed with papers from her Literature class. Ladah hated Literature. Sure she liked to read and immerse herself in the fantastical worlds that lay within the pages (or rather pixels, seeing as how all books were electronic now-a-days), but she hated the writing. Discussions, debates, essays, anything where her grammar had to be perfect and she was docked five points for every spelling mistake.

Fearing that she wouldn't be done sorting through all the junk on her desk, Ladah gathered all the loose papers together, fantastical writings mixed with heavily red-inked Literature and stuffed them into her bag. Eventually she'd sort through them, knowing that Monday's assignment was among the junk. With all the loose junk gone, Ladah turned to the viddisks, which also laid scattered in no discernable order. Historicals among adventure entertainments; didn't matter to her, she loved them all. Ladah was very big on History, that and Mathematics. They were her favorite subjects when it came to school. Common knowledge knew that the government hid certain things that happened in the past. Things that the government would rather see forgotten then tarnish the polished career of every politician on the islands. Having plugged the viddisks into their docks, whether the right one or not, Ladah finished the cleaning process by wiping the dust off her PID, righted her chair (in which had been a casualty in the fight she'd had with her mom last night) and waved her hand over the light sensor. She was done with her room and ready to PAR-TY.

Outside in the back of the house, Ladah's mom and dad were busy trying to set up all the decorations and greet each guest. Ladah's arrival helped out a lot since she was the birthday-girl and able to greet her own guests. They were mostly family. Hell her family was mostly the main island. She had so many cousins, uncles, aunts… Once, twice, three-times removed on either side. Somewhere along the family tree, her family had multiplied like rabbits… _Maybe they still are_… Ladah thought evilly. Smiling at the few cousins who were already there, she kept expecting to see him. The most popular guy in school, Trace; but she realistically chastised herself. _Why would he be interested in my party? _She hugged and kissed her Uncle Gar and Aunt Ceily and then froze. Three people she had expected to shun her party like it was a virus, were there. Trace was one, with a big jock friend that she didn't know the name of, but everyone who was anyone knew that he was Trace's best friend; and then there was Parna. The most popular girl who actually played sports; even though she wasn't one of those plastic girls who freak at the idea of dirt, it doesn't mean that she won't act like them when it comes to clothes. The three sauntered over to Ladah with unreadable expressions on their faces; as they drew nearer the people in front of them parted as if a huge hover-boat had sliced through the water.

"I got this invitation…" Parna said with no discernable annoyance or disgust.

"Yeah." Trace added as an after-thought with the no-name guy shaking his head in agreement. Ladah was still too shocked (thankfully without her mouth hanging open) to form any kind of normal reply.

"Me. I… To you." Clearing her throat and realizing that everyone was staring she said more plainly, "Yeah, I gave out invitations to my party. Seventeen you know." She smiled as her stomach knotted up. Parna's eyes widened as she took in Ladah's heavily lined eyeliner and the dark lip liner that surrounded pale lips. Not to mention her madly spiked hair. The shock must have worn off because she then narrowed her eyes.

"Aren't you friends with that… Oh, what is his name… Jael! That's it." She asked foundering with the name. Confused Ladah now took her turn staring at Parna, then shrugged.

"I know of him, but as actually being friends with him, no. He hangs out with that dark and brooding weird guy, Vincent." Ladah said. This answer seemed to confirm something for the three popular ones, they all sighed.

"Well, in that case. I'm afraid we can't stay… Happy Birthday, or whatever." Parna said as she and Trace turned to leave. The no-name guy following like a sad little puppy. Ladah was stunned; she'd been just blown off at her own birthday party; not to mention that all her relatives were there and her mom and dad. She felt mortified. The eyes staring at her made her feel even more exposed and without a second thought as to the preparations and cost of the party, Ladah turned and ran for the carport. She didn't hear anything as she dashed out. She grabbed the keys for the hover-boat and headed out toward the water. Thankfully her house was close to the water because hover-boats can't stay airborne very long on dry land.

Feeling a little better with the open air and the salt mist in her face, Ladah headed the craft for the long-over-grown island that no one visited unless being dared to. In truth Ladah went there often, but didn't clean it up because she didn't want to encourage people to stay. When there were the occasional visitors and she was there, she'd make as much noise as possible to scare off the intruder. The place was like a tree-house, but an island instead. Long ago, to friends, this place would have been a paradise get-away with secret paths, a bridge only accessible island, and what looked like part of a boat attached to one end of the island. There was or were what looked like tree-houses too.

Parking the hover-boat and tying it off on the other side of the boat-port of the island, Ladah headed for the almost collapsed bridge to get to the coconut tree that was naturally curved for seating. Traversing the bridge was tricky and she was lucky that she hadn't gained too much weight over the years. Finally reaching her destination, Ladah was able to sit and stare out at the other islands, and contemplate her pitiful life. Giving in to the overwhelming emotion of abandonment, Ladah lowered her head to her arms and cried, silently.

Taking yet another long walk through the archives and vaults of the castle, King William sighed and shook his head. _Any day now…They are out there and I don't know how to find them…The prophecy is explicit except for exactly _WHO _it was about and WHEN_… The King thought sadly. This wasn't his first tromp down the stairs into the sub-basements of the castle; and if anyone had been counting it would actually have been his twentieth visit. Seventeen years is all that he had been King for and almost every year, sometimes twice a year; he would visit and then ponder. This day was no different. Queen Millicent was worried about her husband, but considering that none of his actions thus far had seemed out-of-the-ordinary, she remained quiet about it. The whole castle could feel the expectation the King felt everyday; it was like an oozing sore that wouldn't heal. Everyone knew that something was going to happen, and very soon, but no one knew what.

Staring at the relics behind their protective glass cases, King William wandered what had become of the Heroes' sidekicks or friends. The ones originally from Disney Castle that had bravely taken up the shield and mage wand in order to help the Hero. Had they lived a fulfilling life? Had they been content as to what had happened to the Hero? King William didn't see how that could have been, knowing what he knew from the three journals. His next stop on the tour was of course the three treasures that had been magically preserved and passed down through the centuries. King William was so familiar with them, that he need not crack the covers in order to remember the contents. The good, the bad and everything in between had been seared into his mind and would, one day serve a purpose.

He feared that when the time came to use the journals, his kingdom would fall apart. Was Queen Millicent, his wife, strong enough to take the burden he would have to leave at her feet? Would she be able to cope with it and still love him when his journey was done? Or would the kingdom itself, an icon of peace and love, be totally lost with the falling and failing Queen? King William pondered and wandered about these questions once a year, and then sensing it was time to leave the memories to the past for another year, he would lock his mind from that part and leave the archives. He was waiting for the sign, the feeling that everything would be alright this year. That another year would go with blissful peace and that his journey would be postponed… But the feeling did not come. The reassurance did not break the surface of his stormy thoughts, and to his unbelievable horror, the middle glass case that housed one of the three journals was empty.

Screaming, laughter, clanging, roars, and bells suddenly filled Ladah's head. Instinctively she shot her hands to her ears and looked around. The sounds were of a battle, though Ladah had never been in a fight before nor near enough to one to identify the sounds of one. Instinctively, though, she knew that the screaming was from injury and pain. The laughter was maniacal and could only be associated with the enemy. The clanging was metallic and had to be weapons. The roars sounded like an angry feral beast, though what kind of beast Ladah knew not. The bells, well the bells were a sound of hope. It was the only sound in her ringing head that gave her a cinder of hope for whoever the antagonist of the battle was. It was the sound of healing, she knew these things and yet Ladah had no idea why she knew them. Acting on instinct again, she jumped off the bowed coconut tree and ran for the bridge.

Traversing it with reckless abandon and with a surge of adrenaline so massive that not even Trace would have been able to beat her in a foot-race. Not exactly knowing where she was headed, Ladah heard the grinding and wrenching of wood as the bridge behind her collapsed; a part of her, a tiny part, mourned for the bridge and the sanctuary it lead to. Her destination, it seemed, was only accessible through a small overgrown hole in the ground near a tree that had once been used as a tree-house. Without thought to her hair, or the condition of her clothes, she got down on her hands and knees and forced her way through the narrow opening. Even cleaned out, the hole was only big enough for a twelve-year-old. After a little ways, the hole got bigger and finally through sacrificing her spiked hair and cleaned clothes, Ladah emerged into a secret cave. She noticed right away, that the place was old and musty, and that there was not another way in.

Looking around, she marveled at the drawings. They covered every wall and etchings were carved into what looked like roots of the tree beside the hole. They were childish drawings but even then she could make out what some meant. There were dragons, and dogs that seemed to be walking on their hind legs wearing clothes. A duck that was wearing a jacket; a mouse head with a scepter, or what looked like a royal scepter, beside it. There was what was clearly a constellation chart, but instead of dots or stars, there were round circles with buildings on them… Like worlds. All this was a little overwhelming and Ladah collapsed as the adrenaline from earlier evaporated.

Studying the walls and pictures, she rested and soon her breathing and heart rate were normal, but she was still amazed. The light; where was the light, with which she could see, coming from? She searched for the source up high, but there were no cracks in the dirt ceiling. She looked around; there was a faint glow from the far end of the chamber. She stood up and headed toward it; the glow got brighter as she neared. Shielding her eyes, she tried to step to one side thinking maybe the light was directed in one direction. But the light was multidirectional and she was still unable to determine the source. Looking away from the brightness and letting her eyes adjust again, Ladah caught sight of another more hidden drawing. She walked closer and then knelt down to see it more clearly. It was a picture of two drawn heads. One with insanely spiked hair with a star in front of his half-opened mouth; the second head was what seemed like a girl's head with slightly long hair, a star near her half-open mouth as well. She could tell that the two heads were drawn by two different artists. The stars were attached to hands that extended from each head, as if the one drawing was feeding the star to the other drawing and vice versa.

Confused Ladah tried to understand the symbolism of the two drawings. It would have showed friendship and trust if the star in front of the girl-head was not hastily marked out. The crossing marks over the girl's star was etching deep into the rock, as if the carver had used a sharp rock or even a knife to do it. She couldn't tell whether the crossed out part was done by the artists who'd drawn the stars. Ladah's attention had been so engrossed by the drawings and trying to figure them out, that she failed to notice an object that seemed very out-of-place. Her hand, which was keeping her balance of the ground, pushed the object closer to the wall; but the feel of it made Ladah look. A journal with a brown-worn cover was lying there. It was old, just like the cave and drawings, but Ladah could tell by the lack of impression on the dirt ground that the journal hadn't been there long.

She picked it up and leafed through the yellowing pages, realizing that this was a very important object. Adjusting her position on the ground, Ladah reasoned that she'd read a little bit of the curly script before heading back home.

**-Author's Note-**

Chapter 4 is already done, but I also post this at my DeviantART account and well a preview picture is required there. So I'm actually posting this story as I finish chapters and pictures for them. I'll probably get Chapter 4 up at the end of this week, if not then it'll be up next week. If you wanna see my own art for this story, then visit www.seraphyne. There's a working picture of Ladah there already.

Thanks for my first review AngelOfDarknessFire!!


	3. Chapter 4

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Torn Apart**

**By: SMS**

**Chapter 4**

My mind was racing. I couldn't help but feel that I was missing something; some integral part to the puzzle that was my awakening. My eyes still did not see anything other than blackness. _Was I blind? _I asked myself, _Is that my punishment for my past mistakes?_ Really all this philosophical shit wasn't me. I flexed my hands and felt that they were still encased in fabric. _Does this mean I still have my clothes on, then? _A loud pop sounded and suddenly my eyes were blinded by light. I winced, _Nope, not blind… well wasn't blind._ I brought my arm up to shield my eyes from the glare and noticed that I was still wearing the Organization cloak and gloves. Sound was what I became aware of next, a thundering noise that was familiar but yet not. Like I know what it was, but my mind wasn't focusing on the answer. The light dimmed, and I was able to lower my arm. It was a sunset.

The sun was sliding behind a dark silhouette that turned out to be an overgrown island. My memories were a little fuzzy but I think I remember this place. I looked around trying to discern just where I was. The ocean was calm and there wasn't a boat on the water between the beach I was on and the island that was framed by the sunset. The sight drew from me a sigh. Peaceful, that's what this place was. I turned back to the sunset and looked inland, gasping at the alien landscape. There were buildings everywhere, coming right up to the sand on the beach. Sure I remember the World that Never Was, but this was ridiculous, it was as if a technological explosion had demolished the quant little island city. Then I remembered exactly where I was, Destiny Islands… I'd only ever been here once, but I knew without a doubt that this was the exact same place where I'd faced… _Why are things so different? Why is the island across the way, so… so… unused? How many years has it been since… _My chaotic thoughts ceased as I felt the overwhelming desire to shed these hideous reminders as to who I used to be.

I ran for the buildings; being tall and lanky was an advantage when running. My strides are longer and it takes less time to reach my destination, and yet I still exhausted myself after too few steps. _I must have been in a kind of stasis for a long time… Seems my body is not used to physical exertion… _Knowing what the problem was now, I didn't negate the need to shed my Organization clothes, but it did make me more cautious. Walking between the buildings I hunted for a shop or store of some kind that sold clothes… I then stopped, I didn't have any munny. How would I be able to pay for new clothes? Feeling like an ass, I walked back to the beach and sat down on the sand. Facing the only familiar aspect of this new world; I completely let down my guard and was nearly scared shitless when a guy's voice sounded from right above me.

"Who are you? I haven't seen you around here before." I looked up; the guy wasn't even looking at me. He was studying the island. Suspicious as I ever was, I remained silent for a minute or two. The guy remained silent too. Shrugging my shoulders I weighed the options of not telling him and telling him. I didn't actually see any harm in him knowing my name… _Was it still my name? Am I my Somebody or am I me just with a heart? _I searched my memory for any sign of a new name, any sign of foreign thoughts. Nothing. "There she goes again." The guy suddenly declared; confused I looked up at him. He was still staring out at the island. I looked too, curious as to what he was talking about. Though the sky had darkened a little more, heading into night; I could vaguely make out the outline of a boat? That wasn't any type of boat I had ever seen.

"Who's she?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. The guy didn't shift his gaze from following the boat.

"Who are you, first?" He asked. Feeling stupid for having to look up at him, I slowly got to my feet and dusted the sand off my robe. I towered over the guy by about two feet.

"I'm Axel." I said simply. All the stupid little quips I used to use were of no importance to me anymore. I used to be a Nobody, now I had a heart… Time for a change. "Who are you?" I asked finally.

"Name's Vincent. She's a very special young lady… and I don't think you need to know about her yet."

"Yet? What's that supposed to mean?" The guy finally looked at me. I flinched just a tad at the unnatural color of his eyes, they were red… As red as my hair.

"I don't know… I just know that you are not supposed to meet her yet. Just like I know that you need a place to stay and clothes to change into." He said with an eerie sound to his voice. The guy was seriously creeping me out, a lot more than Marluxia ever did; which is saying a lot. What with that long brown hair, which was worn longer than any guy should wear his hair. If it wasn't for the red eyes and the masculine voice, I would say he beats out Marluxia for female-of-the-year. He turned his attention back to the boat, which was fine with me. "She's gone now, let's go."

"Wait, what?" I asked as Vincent turned around and started walking towards the towering buildings.

"You are to stay with me. It's not far and I have clothes that you can change into… Though the pants might be a bit short in the leg." He said never stopping. I jogged a little to keep up with him. _Are you actually going to trust this guy? _I asked myself even though I was already following him. _What if he turns out to be another Xemnas trying to steal your heart again…_ That stopped me. He turned toward me, but didn't look at me as if sensing that I couldn't trust him.

"Who _are _you?" I asked again, as if he could give me a more in-depth answer than the last time I asked. He studied what had once been a sandcastle in the sand for a few minutes and then answered in that creepy voice.

"I'm the Mage. You're the Guardian… She," He said nodding his head in the direction of where the boat was earlier. "Well, she'll be very important soon." And with the air that what he'd said was clue enough of his loyalties, he turned and continued to walk. Confused as hell, I didn't feel like following him at all, but an urgent tug from within my chest drove me onward. For whatever reason, my heart trusted Vincent the Mage.

Three blocks later, Vincent held me up at a dingy little building that was dwarfed by the two buildings on either side. Wrinkling my nose at the filth, I followed him up the uneven stairs and through the door that sported four padlocks. Vincent had a different key for each one, which piqued my interest. _What does Mage boy have here? An arsenal?_ Walking through the door though I realized why. He didn't have any valuables or weapons to hide. The only thing Vincent was hiding was himself. It now made since as to why the outside of the building was like it was, to ward off potential visitors. Inside was spotless and furnished rather nicely in my opinion. The guy's favorite color seemed to be red though, _Hope it's not a fetish thing… _I thought with a glance to a mirror at my hair. The foyer of the building housed three doors off the corridor and then led to a staircase. There wasn't even an elevator in this joint.

Vincent walked past all the doors and headed for the stairs. _Of course…_ I followed him and within two flights I was breathless. Leaning over trying to massage the kinks in my calves. _This sucks! Where has my strengths gown?_ I asked myself. "Looks like you'll have to start training." Vincent said as he stopped to wait on me.

"Training? I never trained before…" I trailed off realizing that was a different life and a lifetime ago. Vincent smiled the first I think since I met him.

"You'll find that things are a lot different now. The abilities and strengths you use to have no longer apply. It's like you are starting over… Which is correct, am I not right?" I let the question hang. He was being smug. _But how does he know so much? Sure he _says_ he's a mage, but…_

"Lead." I said simply as I stood to walk some more. It pissed me off royally when we reached the next landing and he opened the door.

"Third floor, first door on the left." He said as he took out another key and unlocked the door. _Reds again… _I thought as I gave out on his fluffy red couch. "The bathroom is right there. The clothes you will sleep in are already in there. I'll have some more clothes for you tomorrow. Good night." Vincent said and without preamble went through the only other door in the room. I sat there a little longer before heading to the bathroom.

Upon entering I heard a strange sound that came from the other room, Vincent's room, but I blew it off. "Probably talks to himself." I said aloud. I closed the bathroom door and looked in the mirror. Nothing in my appearance had changed. My eyes were still a bright acid green, my hair redder and spikier than ever. The tattoos were still there too. The first thing I removed were the gloves and threw them in the waste basket. "I will never wear those things again." I said aloud as if that would forbid any pair of gloves from attaching themselves to my hands.

I started unzipping my robe, but stopped, wanting to check the clothes that Vincent said was there for me. They sat on the sink below the mirror. I was surprised I didn't see them before. It was just a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. "Those better be clean, Vinny." I said unzipping the robe and taking it off. The tattoo on my chest over where my heart was now, the Roman numeral eight was still there as well. I guess that was also part of my punishment. My memories and my tattoo. I sat down on the commode to unzip my boots; which I had never really taken off unless going to bed or showering. _Showering, now that sounds like a great idea…_ "I can't remember the last time I was able to shower…" I quickly pulled off my socks, pants, and boxers and then tested the shower faucets. They worked fine, and it wasn't as if Vincent had told him not to.

I sat about measuring the water at just the right temperature and then I jumped in and closed the curtain. The hot water raining down over my head and body felt divine, and I realized that I loved to shower. _Or was it, that I loved water, rain? Being wet? Now that sounded dirty…_ I chuckled as I surveyed the cleaning solutions Vincent had. Something that smelled fruity was for the hair and then something that smelled distinctly like a guy was for the body. I used the fruity smelling stuff all over. I didn't want to smell like Vincent, not that I actually sniffed the guy. My hair was being a bitch though, when I wash it, it gets all tangled because of the gel that I have to use. So I usually use conditioner afterwards, thankfully Vincent loved his hair too much. There were three different types of conditioner. One for the rainy season, one for the sun, and then one for curls… Confused I picked the one that smelled the best.

Done with my shower, having bathed after I conditioned my hair; I got out and was flummoxed as to where Vincent kept his towels. I looked through the tiny closet by the shower and only found toiletries. Then I spotted the cabinet under the sink. Bingo, nice big fluffy towels. "Pretty boy sure does like his comforts…" I said drying off. I donned the boxers and t-shirt and then brushed out my hair. I then realized that if I wore my hair down without spikes, that it would be just as long as Vincent's. "I need a haircut…" I said leaving my boots in the bathroom and throwing the pants and boxers as well as the cloak in the wastebasket. The boots would look funny if the pants Vincent gives me are too short, but it would be better than wearing the Organization cloak again.

I walked back into the 'living room' section of the apartment and found that almost all the lights were out. Only the lamp beside the couch was still on. "Great, I'm at least two feet taller than Vinny and he wants me to sleep on a couch that is too short for him to stretch out on." Sighing, I took one of the throw pillows off the couch and grabbed the blanket that was lying on the armchair nearby. I unfolded the blanket on the floor in front of the couch, and stretched out. The carpet wasn't too bad, plenty of cushion. I moved the coffee table away from me a little so that I wouldn't knock anything off during the night. Reaching up to the lamp, I flipped it off… Complete darkness, not even a glow from the connecting kitchen could be seen the in apartment.

I folded my arms underneath my head as I shifted my position to my back. I don't sleep on my back, but when I have things to think about before bed; I always lay on my back. _What is going on here? Why am I here? If this is a second chance… Hell I know at least two guys that needed it more than I did… I wander whatever happened to Zexion and Demyx, those guys were pussies, but at least they called me friend… Wait…_ I sat up as my thoughts collected around one subject, _What happened to Roxas and Sora?_ Feeling intense guilt as to why I deserved to be here now and not them… him; I lay back down. Turning over so that I was on my stomach and hugging the couch pillow, I thought, _Roxas was the only true friend I had, just like Sora was the only true friend of Riku…_

-

"Ow!" I yelled as something stepped on my foot. Then there was a loud crash as the something fell over onto the coffee table. I rose up as best I could and turned the lamp on beside the couch. "What the hell?" The light cast an eerie glow over the place with my unfocused sleep filled eyes. Vincent was lying on top of the coffee table. I stood up and tried to help him up, but he pushed me away.

"It's okay. I should have realized that the couch would not have held… all of you." He said standing and rubbing his shins which sported nasty red marks. "Are you okay? I did not mean to stand on your toes." He said a little sheepishly.

"Hell, my toes are fine, but that shin is bleeding." I said in too much of a cheerful voice for whatever the time was. It wasn't even daylight outside the windows yet. "What time is it anyway?" I asked as I headed for the kitchen; at Castle Oblivion, the medical supplies were kept in a high cabinet in the kitchen, I wandered if that was how all people did it.

"Over the fridge, in the left-hand cabinet," He yelled from the couch. I opened the appropriate compartment and sure enough, there was a small white plastic box with a red cross on it. I brought it back to the living room.

"How the hell did you know that was what I was looking for?" I asked tossing the box to him. He caught the box close to his bare chest and cracked a half smirk.

"A guess… It's a quarter past ten. I slept straight through the alarm." Vincent said removing gauze and a bandage from the kit. The only shin bleeding was his left one and he quickly patched it up.

"Ten in the morning? …But it's still dark out." I said motioning toward the windows. He looked and then laughed.

"Oh, yeah… I forgot to tell you. I covered the windows with black poster board. Can't have people thinking anyone lives here." Confused I sat down in the armchair and rubbed my eyes; trying to rub the sleep out. "I left some clothes in the bathroom for you. I chose shorts since the pants would be way too short on you. And there is a nearly new pair of trainers in there as well." He said replacing the items in the first aide kit.

I stood up from the armchair, depressed that he wasn't going to let me sleep anymore and headed for the bathroom. I closed the door and turned on the sink faucet. Splashing severely cold water on my face and then running my still wet fingers through my chaotic hair, I looked at the shirt and shorts he left. Turning the water off, I grabbed up the shirt and read the printed letters on it, "Shittles, Taste the Ass-whole… What?" I asked as I threw it down and pulled the shirt I'd slept in off. Not seeing any clean boxers with the outfit, I left the ones I'd slept in on and pulled on the shorts. Too short in the leg (a little above the knee), and too big round the waist. Shrugging since Vinny had no other alternatives, I pulled on the shirt. The ensemble was depressing, but at least it wasn't the Organization cloak.

Finished with dressing, I figured it was time to tackle my hair. Looking in the mirror, I surveyed the mess it was since I'd gone to sleep with it wet. Opening the cabinet behind the mirror, which I had been guessing was there, I noted nothing that resembled hair gel, hair spray, or mousse. "Shit!" I closed the mirror cabinet and opened the bathroom door and stuck my head out, "Hey Vincent! You got any hair gel?" I asked fearing the answer. Across that hall, Vincent's door opened a fraction and his head was poking through.

"Nope. Never saw the use for the stuff." He said as I noted his long brown hair hanging perfectly around his head and shoulders.

"Of course not, but what the hell am I supposed to do with my hair? I've only ever had it spiked up." I asked. Vincent had a thoughtful expression on his face before he disappeared behind his door again. Then the door opened and he walked up to the bathroom door, extending his hand toward me. Between his index and thumb was a small rubber band. "See what you can do with this." He said as he dropped the rubber band in my hand and then walked into the kitchen.

Thirty minutes later, I had a half-pony tail (because all my hair wouldn't fit in the small holder) and a sore head. I had never used any sort of holder on my hair and the tiny thing kept getting caught in my hair. There was a sizable ball of red hair in the waste basket that I had had to rip out. Walking out of the bathroom door with my hair done, clothes on, and the new-ish trainers on my socked feet, I was ready for whatever Vincent could throw at me now.

"We're running behind because I overslept, but we'll be on the island no one ever visits so…" He trailed off.

"Okay, I'll bite. Running behind for what?" I asked in a not so nice way. I wasn't a morning person, and I would hate to see what time it would be if he hadn't slept through his alarm.

"For training of course." Vincent said with a mischievous smile.

Author's Note

To see ART associated with this story, check out my DeviantART account in my Journal: http://seraphyne. reading!!


	4. Chapter 5

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Torn Apart**

**By: SMS**

**Chapter 5**

Time is relative to the person who is experiencing it. One person has the shortest day of their lives and yet it lasts the same amount of time as the person next door whose day has been the longest day of their life. Therefore relatively the next four weeks are the longest four weeks in Axel's life because Vincent has him training every minute of every day, but to Ladah, with the same amount of four weeks, feels like the days fly by as she reads further and further into the past. Time is relative and; sadly, time is running out for our soon-to-be heroes.

-

"Stop! I can't…" Axel pauses trying to catch his breathe. Vincent is still jogging right beside him.

"Come on, we've only circled the island twice. We're usually round lap four before you start griping." Vincent says as he stops jogging in place. Axel is bent over with his hands on his waist.

"The correct term is 'bitching,' Vincent…" Axel says as he stands back up, though he knows that Vincent's right. Something was off today. He looks around a minute before he spots the all too familiar foot prints. "She's here already today."

"She never left last night. I would bet that she finished it and now she feels lost." Vincent said cryptically as he jogs off. Axel has to flat out run for a few feet to catch up and then he easily matches Vincent's pace and they continue their route around the island.

-

Asleep with her head tucked between her arms, Ladah is sprawled out in the cave with the journal she found four weeks ago close by. The last three nights, she hadn't even bothered going home. She'd packed her bag with extra clothes and provisions to last at least a week and had left a note to her mom and dad about spending the week with one of her aunts, who in turn thought she was off with another aunt. Ladah concluded that by the time, all her relatives conferred with each other to find that she'd lied, she would be back home with an explanation.

The journal had turned out to be longer than Ladah had thought it was. Although there were no dates, intuitively, she knew that the journal spanned at least ten years if not more, because of certain events that occurred every so often. That had been when she'd discovered that the war or wars that happened in the journal were real and not a fallacy. This journal was written by someone who'd helped in the Last War. Ladah knew this because there hadn't been any wars since the Last one. That didn't negate the fact that the person could be talking about things that happened before the Last War, but Ladah had a feeling that it wasn't like that.

Ladah's dreams at the moment were trying their best to give her grief, but she was all cried out from last night, having finished the journal. The female who'd written the journal had been heartbroken when she wrote the last line. There was never any mention of a romance with one of her two best friends, but Ladah was able to interpret the deep set emotions written in the descriptions of them. One in particular, the main Hero, was almost worshiped by the female writer and the way the journal ended… Well, Ladah felt sorry for her. Whoever she had been.

Waking with a jerk and cry, Ladah sat up. Looking around to see if the nightmare had followed her into reality, she yawned with fresh tears threatening to spill. Ladah stretched and wiped away the tears, _I will not…I'm strong, stronger than she was…_She thought. Feeling grimy from sleeping on the floor of the cave, Ladah grabbed her bag and headed for the entrance to the cave. Of course crawling through the roots and dirt to get to the cave was also why she felt grimy, but Ladah thought it was worth the dirt to read the journal. A couple of days ago, Ladah had found that if you walk through a crumbling, hut-like structure there was a part of the beach that wasn't accessible by any other method, unless you swam there or sailed a boat right to it. The beach was also facing away from the other main islands, so Ladah felt safe undressing and washing there. She was almost finished with her bath and washing her hair, when she heard shouts nearby.

-

"Slow down!" Vincent cried after Axel, who with longer legs and less bulk, was able to run twice as fast now. Axel was actually running backwards teasing the older brunette. Taunting, Axel wasn't able to see the dent in the sand and was soon sprawled out on his backside. "See that's what you get for showing off… You, you… Ass!"

"Nice! I think next time you'll actually mean it Vinny!" Axel said, making fun and standing back up. He dusted off his clothes and was laughing at the threatening look Vincent was trying to pull off.

"I've told you thousands of times over the last month that my name isn't VINNY!" Vincent yelled with more force than even Axel knew he was capable of. Vincent's unnatural red eyes seemed to glow as he continued, "It's Vincent or Valentine! That's it. If… if you call me VINNY one more time… I'm going to… I'm going to kick your pencil-thin ASS!"

Axel was too shocked to congratulate Vincent on his very colorful language. Vincent's eyes were glowing, Axel realized; and a breeze was blowing through Vincent's brown hair, but it never seemed to touch Axel. Freaked out now, Axel put up his hands with no trace of sarcasm or dominance. "Peace. I was only joking. I know you don't like the name V… And I promise I won't ever call you that again… I've just seen what you are really capable of…" He trailed off as the ever-so-cool Vincent Valentine's temper siphoned away to nothing.

Emotionally shocked himself, Vincent looked sheepish. _I scared the hell out of the guy who's supposed to help me protect her…How can I get him to trust me when I can't trust myself?_ He asked himself as his eyes roamed over the beach avoiding Axel's. "I'm sorry…" He trailed off as he caught sight of the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen. _Oh no…_

Axel seemed to sense that something else held Vincent's attention. He turned around and froze. From Vincent's point of view, Ladah was right beside Axel and the light allowed him to see all the details. Her hair was wet, sticking out everywhere and the clothes she had on were clean and crisp. But from Axel's point of view, the image in front of him was framed by the sunlight. All he could see was a black outline and the hair was very, very familiar. "Sora?" Axel whispered before he caught himself. The sunlight shifted and there before him was a teenage girl with insane hair.

"Who are you… And why are you here?" She asked in a crisp voice that held suspicion. Axel remained silent, knowing that Vincent would do the introductions, but it was a little weird that she hadn't recognized Vincent.

"Wha… I… Hi." was all Vincent was able to get his mouth to formulate. He felt overwhelmed. _This wasn't the right time was it? I mean Axel's in better shape, but more training wouldn't hurt him… Why are you arguing? This is the sign that you've been waiting for… She's here and she now knows about you, well… _His thoughts raced onward in a blink of an eye, but the eyes of Ladah narrowed even further when he remained silent.

"Axel." The tall red-head said as he caught up on Vincent's inability to talk. He held out his hand for Ladah to shake, but she remained still with thoughts warring in her mind as well. _Do they know about the journal? Were they the ones who placed the journal there? Do they know her or knew her? Who are they? That one looks like that weird guy Vincent, but then why is he wearing shorts and a ponytail? Where's the usual red headband and dark cloak?_ Ladah looked at the red-head again. His hand was extended in friendship and greeting, and she felt her face reddening at ignoring him. Smiling a little shyly, she caught his hand in hers and gave a harder squeeze than she needed too. _Got to show that I can take care of myself…_

Sensing a little more was happening than an average handshake, Axel jerked his hand trying to catch Ladah off balance, but she sidestepped his feet and remained on hers. Narrowing her eyes, she jerked his hand toward hers; Axel went to his knees on purpose, which was meant to give her a false sense of victory. When her eyes widened and a smile crept across her lips, he jerked down. She was caught off guard that time, but it didn't seem to matter as she used his back to flip over him. She now had his hand behind his back and her other arm around his neck. The hold had her on her tiptoes, because he was so tall, which wasn't a very good stance. Smirking, Axel reached over his head, grabbed her around her narrow waist, hauled her over his shoulders, and dropped her on her back before him. His face was inches from hers, and his smirk didn't last long as she adopted a smirk of her own.

Her legs came snaking up and around his neck before he was able to do anything with his hands. She also grabbed his hands around her waist to hold them there. Then using her legs and arms on him, she twisted her position so that she was now on his shoulders with his hands up over his head. Again, her feet weren't on the ground and so Axel was free to stand up, which made her trip into the air even higher. His hands had been holding hers, and now he let go in a show of peace. "Alright I give. Though I am still able to walk around and would, in fact, be able to knock you off if I also wanted to knock myself out, but I would rather we both come out of this unhurt."

Vincent was speechless. A wrestling contest, the two were wrestling. _What the hell?_ He asked himself, noting the effect of having Axel around all the time. Axel, in his own way, apologized for starting the little tiff and helped the shorter female off his shoulders. They were both smiling though. "I'm sorry about Axel; he's a wild fire I hate to say." The phrasing seemed appropriate. Red hair, fire… Somehow fire seemed to fit as a description for this guy.

"No worries. I haven't had that much fun in months. Summers can be such drags when your friends are away… You look different Vincent, I almost didn't recognize you." Ladah said with mischief.

"I'm at a loss, you know my name, but I don't know yours." Vincent said in a formal manner. Axel rolled his eyes. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that poor Vincent was already smitten with the kitten. The girl just rolled her eyes though.

"Oh please. How could I not know your name? 'The one with the red eyes;' or 'what's with that guy who always wears the red scarf or headband no matter that he's not wearing anything else red.' That's all I hear about you. You know, if you weren't so weird maybe less people would know your name." She said as way of explanation. Vincent smiled and shrugged.

"How does one remain in solitude without attracting attention?" He asked cryptically. Axel was used to this. Asking those really retarded cryptic questions that as far as Axel was concerned had no answers.

"I'm Ladah, and why would you want to remain in solitude? There are some very awesome people who occupy that island… Of course most of them are gone for the summer. Oh, what about the Jael guy?" She asked.

"He's no longer with the company. We voted him off the island." Axel said with a sarcastic voice. Vincent smiled before shaking his head.

"I caught Jael stealing my things. I assume he would steal little things and then sell them. I always wandered where he got munny from. Anyway, he no longer lives nor associates with us." Vincent said clearing things up.

"Oh, with you two… That's cool, I've never met anyone like that and I guess it also explains the weirdness." Ladah said more to herself than to the two guys. Not really knowing what she was saying, but not liking the sound of it either, Axel spoke up.

"What do you mean? Never met anyone like what?" Vincent was confused.

"Oh, well… homosexual of course. I didn't know that Vincent was, but it makes sense now that you are with him…"

"Hold on there short-stuff…"

"Hey, I'm five foot six; actually tall for my age!" Ladah said interrupting Axel.

"We are NOT gay!" He finished with a flustered face and a side hesitant glance at Vincent. "At least I am NOT gay."

"Hey, I'm not either!" Vincent said finally catching the conversation. Sometimes he felt like such a blonde. "The basis for our sexual orientation has nothing to do with this meeting." He said which made both Ladah and Axel pause.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ladah asked, "'This meeting?' What do you mean? This was chance. I didn't know you were here. I was taking a bath and I heard…"

"A bath? When? You don't look like you had a bath." Axel said unable to resist the urge to prickle her.

"You… ASS!" Ladah said trying to grab at Axel. Vincent easily stepped between the two and caught Ladah's small frame in his.

"Please, please. Can you two not fight right now. We have to check the beach. It should be here in a few minutes." He said stepping away from the now still Ladah.

"He needs to keep his mouth shut." Ladah said still bristling but able to control her temper. Axel was grinning from ear to ear. "What are we looking for?" She was able to ask without a quip from Axel.

"I don't know. All I know is that it's supposed to be here now." Vincent said walking back the way he and Axel had ran from earlier. "Ladah, wherever you were hiding, go and search there. Axel you look on the other side of the island. We'll find it faster if we all split up to look." They all took their beaches and looked thoroughly for at least an hour before Axel and Vincent met back up. Ladah wasn't anywhere to be seen, but they knew she hadn't left the island. They walked around calling her name out.

Ladah had returned to the sealed-off beach and had found the object in minutes. It was resting by her bag. A bottle, a soda bottle with a cork in it and inside was what looked like a piece of paper. She sat down and opened the bottle. Carefully she removed the paper and set the bottle aside. Some reason told her not to go and find Axel and Vincent before reading the paper first.

-

Three unlikely people were now thrust together. The destiny set in stone for each hangs in the balance of trust and deception. They each have a secret, all very dark; and each secret has the ability to disrupt whatever plan the three might hatch together. This friendship is shaky and it was founded on false hopes and fears. Hopes of a brighter future with a longer lasting peace, but one must realize that peace is not hoped for without fear, hurt, and death. Fears of an unspeakable darkness that even now grows uncontrollable and will one day reach out and grasp the unlucky Heroes, but one must realize that not every Hero succeeds. Inevitably, some must fail.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Since this site doesn't like me posting web addresses, then I guess you'll have to go to my Author Page to get the link to my DeviantART account. I hope you do cause I'm working overtime in trying to produce pictures for each chapter.

Chapter 6 will be up sometime next week, and then after that my updating will be sporadic at best. I don't have the internet at home and I graduate from college next Saturday (the 12th) and so I will only be able to update the story when I have access to the internet, but this should mean that I would be several chapters ahead when I post; therefore I might be able to post two or three chapters at one time. This of course is my hopes… Wish me luck stepping into the 'REAL' world and trying to find a steady job.

Hope you like this chapter, and if you feel inspired then drop me a few words in response. Thanks for listening to the imaginative mind of a 24 year-old.


	5. Chapter 6

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Torn Apart**

**By: SMS**

**Chapter 6**

I was stunned. I couldn't fathom who the letter was from or how they knew who I was. It was bad enough that the two newest guys I'd met seemed to have known that this letter would be here. It was addressed to me; well the first part of it was at least.

_Ladah,_

_Time passes and you wonder more and more about just why you are who you are. You complain to your parents that no one actually understands you, but that's not true. I understand you and since we have not met yet, I will also let you in on a little secret. The two guys you are with today, they understand you too. These two, Axel and Vincent, are meant to meet you today. Trust them. If you don't, then I'm afraid all this is for nothing. Now then, go find them and then read the rest of this letter with them._

Confused beyond belief, I stumbled up from my sitting position by my belongings and rolled the letter back up. I didn't put it back in the bottle because my two new 'friends' would see soon enough that I was meant to read the first part without them. I wasn't aware at how late the day had grown until I found the two boys running down the beach towards me. Both looked very worried.

"Where have you been!?" The dark-haired guy asked with panic in his voice. I wrinkled my brows and smiled.

"I went to search my beach like you asked me too. See I found the letter."

"That was two hours ago! What have you been doing since then?" Vincent asked. Axel seemed preoccupied with something else. I could already tell that I wasn't going to get along with Axel too well.

"Two hours? Surely not… I mean, to me it seems I've only been gone, five or ten minutes at the most." I said, still confused.

"Time moves differently now." Was all Axel contributed. I looked at him with irritation. He ignored my look and was looking at Vincent.

"Here! I give up. Read it already." I said throwing the rolled paper at Vincent, the only one who seemed to care that I was there. He unfurled the letter, started to read it, and then arched an eyebrow looking at me for a moment. His attention went back to the letter. Axel seemed to realize that Vincent wasn't going to read the thing out loud, so he walked up behind Vincent and read it over his head. The guy is freakishly tall that way.

"You read all this?" Vincent asked after a few more minutes. I shook my head. "Well it seems that the King of Disney Castle wants to meet… us. All three of us." There was a flicker of something on Axel's face, but I didn't catch the actual emotion.

"Who's the King of Disney Castle? I don't think there's a castle on any of the main islands…" I trailed off, trying to remember my tenth grade geography. I looked at Vincent who was smiling. "What? Do you know which island we have to go to?"

"It's not on an island." He said with a hint of playfulness. It seemed that today was going to be one of those days where I pretend to be blonde. I did not understand what Vincent was trying to say. There was not a place here that would not be located on an island. That's all that made up our home, islands.

"Damn Vincent, spare us the theatrics and just say what you want to say." Axel said with a hint of irritation. He folded his arms over his chest and stood there with an air of indifference, but I think that maybe this wasn't something he cared to be a part of. I was also debating on whether to tell them about the journal. This letter made me feel like the journal was meant for me. Like someone dropped it there and wanted me to know… Vincent's playful attitude didn't change, but he passed a glance Axel's way before saying anything more.

"Disney Castle is located on another world."

"You mean another planet? We have to leave Destiny Islands!" I asked exasperated. _What the hell is this all about? Why would _we _have to do this?_ "Give me that letter!" I yelled and snatched the letter from Vincent's hand before he could react to my outburst. I quickly read through the lines below the part addressed to me.

_You are kindly requested to take the Gummie Ship in dock at the Destiny Islands transport Bay number eight. The ship is programmed to take you to Disney Castle. The King awaits your arrivals._

The blood drained from my face as the full implication dawned on me. I would be leaving my world, my family, my friends, and everything I had ever known. I didn't like my life right now, but that didn't mean it wouldn't get better once my Senior year at school started. My friends Sam and Dana would be back from vacation and then we'd have a great time undermining the professors and playing tricks on the Freshmen and Juniors… I couldn't leave… There was no way.

I dropped the letter on the beach and stared blindly at the two guys I'd just met. These two were strangers to me. Sure I'd seen Vincent around the islands since I could remember, but did that intone me to give him my blind loyalty… Axel, who the hell was this guy? Vincent said I could trust him because he himself did, but in the end I can't trust either one. They are loony… Crazy… _I've got to go…_ I think I mumbled something as I started walking back to the landlocked beach. Vincent and Axel were both calling after me, but I turned around and ran. I was able to turn the corner and duck into the gutted beach hut before either of them could see where I'd went. I was safe now on my beach. I quickly gathered my things and tossed them into my bag, including the journal. I strapped the thing on my back, contemplating on just how to get off this island with the two loony men when the lines from the letter to me came back to my mind…

_The two guys you are with today, they understand you too. These two, Axel and Vincent, are meant to meet you today. Trust them. If you don't, then I'm afraid all this is for nothing._

At the same time I could hear Vincent and Axel calling my name. _Why do they need me? Surely to exemplary guys such as those two can handle any trouble… You are the special one… You've known all along… No! SHUT UP! I'm not special… There is nothing significant about little 'ole me… WILL YOU OPEN YOUR EYES!!! See yourself as what you are!! I can't! I'm NOT!_ The battle within my mind paralyzed my limbs and I sank into the sand. My arms were numb beside me and my legs were underneath me. I wasn't aware of the surf rolling ever closer to me as my mind warred with itself.

"HERE SHE IS VINCENT!!" I heard Axel yell, but I couldn't do anything about it. I was paralyzed with fear. Fear of change. Fear of trust. Fear of myself. From the corner of my eye I could see Axel beside me, on his knees with concern on his face. From the corner of my other eye I could see Vincent too, with the same look of concern as Axel. _They both care… About me? Why? Why? WHY? WHY ME? _I still couldn't fathom what all this was about or why I was so important to them. I opened my mouth to voice my objections, but nothing emerged.

"Ladah?" Vincent asked softly. I didn't answer or move, but I was aware of how late it was getting and a new fear gripped me. _No one knows where I am… No one will find me… I'll disappear and no one will care… _The evening sky darkened and the cold salt water lapped closer and closer, touching my hands, then my knees, my legs and finally covering me up to my waist. Axel and Vincent never moved from my side. They didn't say anything either. My mind was still racing with indecision and fear. The fear was seeping through to my heart and the cold from the water was leaching my strength. I felt exhausted and overwhelmed, but not alone. My head sunk toward my chest and I sobbed. No tears, but tearing gasps of fear gripped my throat. I tried to speak, but gasps and shrieks were all I was capable of.

"Oh, gods…" Vincent said as his face crumpled. Intense pain was written on his face. _I'm hurting him… But how? _I asked myself as Axel's face fell too. Axel moved first. He wrapped his long arms around my shaking shoulders and braced my face beside his own. Vincent didn't take too long before his posture mimicked Axel's. Finally the tears came. The gasps stopped but my throat hurt. My legs ached from the posture I'd held for so long and I re-arranged myself, not caring that I was chest deep in the water and that it was freezing… Somehow though, the water was sobering.

"Why…" Was all I was able to choke out, but it was as if they both knew what I was talking about. They both shook their heads.

"I need you." The combined voices of Axel and Vincent said. My whole body was shaking and my teeth were chattering. I was so cold, but it all paled in comparison to what was happening now. Their hands were biting into my arms and their faces were pressed against mine… It was an intimate hold but at the same time it felt right. _We belong together… It's as if this was a story written long ago and only now can it be fulfilled… _My thoughts jumbled together as the water lapped ever higher. The biting chill finally got to me and I screamed. I screamed out of frustration, fear, anger, hurt, and madness. A part of me snapped and I grabbed them both with my hands. Pinching them to make sure they weren't an illusion. Neither said a word but both jumped with the assault and my screaming.

Time passed, but it was as if I had been asleep. I don't remember anything that happened after I started screaming, but I awoke later on the beach. The sun was peaking above the horizon and I was sandwiched between Axel and Vincent. They were on their sides to shield me from the wind, I was on my back, which was odd, 'cause I never slept on my back. I was able to sit up without disturbing the two sleeping guys. Axel's face was peaceful with a playful smile on his lips. His right arm cradling his head, his left arm had been slung across my waist. Vincent's face was clouded with what seemed to be worry. His mouth was set in a hard line and his eyes wavered back and forth beneath his eyelids. He was dreaming and it didn't seem very pleasant. His head was cradled just like Axel's and his other arm had been slung across my ribs. Sitting up had moved both arms, but hadn't disturbed them.

My mind was running the memories of yesterday and last night over and over again. Thankfully the paralyzing feelings weren't present and I was able to think clearly. I knew of course that the right choice of action was to do as the letter had bidden me and my rag-tag companions to do. But the allure to ignore the letter, forget these weird two, and go back to my parents like nothing had happened was very enticing. Then I thought about the journal. The ancient Hero, the silent and hidden Hero who'd been dismissed because she happened to just be the friend of the _real _Hero. The feelings of betrayal and hurt which had flooded my conscious yesterday was back, but I was in more control. _She deserves better… She deserves my help… _I thought as first one guy and then the other started to stir beside me.

"Ladah?" My name hung in the air as a question as Vincent sat up beside me. I smiled but didn't turn to look at him. Axel sat up too, but he remained silent. The verbal one and the secretive one, both I knew I could count on. I slanted my eyes at Axel and saw the shadows under his eyes. I knew, kind of like Vincent knew about the bottle and message, that Axel had secrets and a past, but neither would come between us. Vincent, sweet, strong, and powerful Vincent would always be there. I held my grimy and sandy palms up in the morning sunlight before both guys. They were met with dirty hands as well. I smiled genuinely for the first time since before my birthday.

"Looks like we've a Gummie Ship to catch." I said softly and then laughed. "What the hell is a Gummie Ship anyway?" Vincent chuckled; ready, I knew, with the answer to my question. But Axel I could feel, tensed. I knew right then that I would always worry about him.

Half an hour later saw us heading for the main island on Vincent's hover-boat. I left mine moored on the other side of the ship part of the island. The guys both thought it would be best to let my parents believe what they would. It saddened me that I wouldn't get to see them again before I left, but I too, felt the urgency of the situation. We headed for the Transport Bay with what we had on our backs and what little I had in my backpack. Vincent steered us down a deserted street close to the Transport Bay where Axel and I saw he'd hidden a backpack for himself. It had the essentials for travel: food, water, and first aide; no other clothes. He told us that we wouldn't need another change of clothes. I believed him.

There was a lot of talk at the station about a new type of aircraft that had landed sometime last night. Apparently no one had disembarked and there was no message from it either. The Transport security team had left it alone, thinking that maybe it would disappear just as it had appeared. Silently, holding hands like little kids, the three of us walked through the platforms until we came to number eight. Neither of us were surprised to find the unusual ship moored there. We had known that it would be. This 'knowing' was kind of scary, but I reasoned with myself that not 'knowing' might be worse.

We found that walking close to the area that should have housed a doorway, produced one that opened with a loud hiss of escaping air. Resigned to our foretold destiny, Vincent entered the aircraft first; I came next, and last was Axel. The door hissed closed behind us and we surveyed the ship. The ship seemed to be made up of two compartments. The first was set up like a control center with three overstuffed chairs facing a transparent window looking onto Platform number eight. There were consoles galore with lots of small knobs and gadgets to push, pull, punch, and twist. Ignoring the call of the comfortable chairs, the three of us went through a partition of sorts and was faced with a small compartment with racks on either side of the cramped walkway. The racks turned out to be bunks for sleeping. The very real compartment was a bathroom slash refreshment area. Deciding that there was nothing more fascinating to the little ship, we all headed back to the main area.

Feeling lost we stood awkwardly in the middle of the triangle made of the comfortable chairs. "So this is a Gummie Ship." I said, trying to lighten the mood. Vincent smiled and Axel just stood there. Suddenly there was a whir as instruments around the room lit up. The transparent screen in front fogged over and messages started scrolling over it as if it was a huge PID booting up after being shutdown for a couple of days. Finally the fast scrolling stopped and a picture appeared on the foggy surface. A diagram of the interior of the Gummie Ship; it showed the three chairs and there were names beside each chair. It also showed the living compartment and a name hovered over each rack. Apparently the creator of the ship had specific instructions for its occupants.

"Looks like Vincent's the pilot." Axel said as he let go of my right hand and took the chair to the bottom right of the triangle. I let Vincent's hand drop as I took the seat opposite Axel in the bottom left of the triangle. Vincent took the last seat at the head of the triangle. The diagram disappeared on screen and another message lit up.

_Departure in T minus 30 seconds and counting. Remain seated until turbulence has ceased. Then you may rest in the assigned compartments. Have a pleasant trip. Disney Castle: 24 hours and 37 minutes until arrival._

The message remained as inert engines from some lower section of the ship powered up to a roar. The fog on the screen behind the message subsided, but the message remained in inky black letters against the backdrop of Platform number eight. The people near the platform were all staring in their direction and covering their ears. One moment they were staring at what must have been a very weird sight, and the next inky blackness covered the screen with tiny pinpoints of light. The message on the screen had flashed from inky black itself to a luminescent red and the content had changed to:

_Turbulence to commence in T minus 10 seconds. Remain seated until turbulence has ceased. Then you may rest in the assigned compartments. Have a pleasant trip. Disney Castle: 24 hours and 32 minutes until arrival._

"You mean the turbulence hasn't happened yet…" I managed to say before the ship lurched wildly to the left and the bottom fell out of my stomach.

**

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****Author's Note**

_Well, hopefully these first six chapters builds up a fan-base that I can be proud of… I've noticed that I'm not the most skillful writer and if I could narrate the story using a microphone, well I would and it would probably be better… Hell I wish I could animate it, but I'm no good at comics either… I'm just screwed when it comes to stories and ideas that I want to share with others. If no one likes my ideas then I guess that explains my lack of reviews and fans… No offense to the two very wonderful people who have this story on their alerts list, I love you guys!! _

_As you can probably tell, I don't like Mary-Sues very much and I would feel extremely stupid and un-artistic if you think Ladah is one. I try very hard to skim through the fan-base to see just what ideas have been used (or over used) and I try and come up with an original that will still keep the main players in character. When it comes to making up original characters (and I know this is the goal of every Mary-Sue maker out there) I try and portray the character as real, living in the real world with real emotions and personality. I know that that's what EVERY creator says, but I haven't really come across too many OCs that have lived up to their creator's expectations._

_They make them too invincible, who wants the first bad guy or hell even the tenth bad guy to defeat their character? No one. They make them too perfect, and I say who wants their character's heart broken because Mary-Ellen has better hair, prettier eyes, a better name, or bigger breasts? (think male anatomy if your OCs are mainly men) No one. They make them all-powerful, because face it who wants their character to be broken and handed their ass by some villain who can metamorphose into a freaking dragon and their character only has the ability to grow an extra set of arms? No one! If you think about all the allure there is out there to create the best invincible, perfect, all-powerful character, then why criticize them for doing it? Who can blame them for wanting the best? Everyone wants the best, even if they lie about it._

_Please, if you review, make it a review about my story not about what I wrote in my author's note. Thank you. Next chapter will be uploaded as soon as I am able to log back onto FanFiction and DeviantART. Toodles!_


	6. Chapter 7

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Torn Apart**

**By: SMS**

**Chapter 7**

Sleep eluded me as I watched the countdown and the stars whiz past the view port. The last few weeks had been so confusing; what with the training of Axel, and at the same time trying to ignore the information that dwelled within my mind. Information that I never knew how to process, much less decipher, the messages it tried to convey to me. Guesses was what I lived with. I was lucky that most seemed to be right. Those guesses were what had Axel, Ladah, and I hurtling through space toward some unknown destiny that even my significant knowledge kept hidden.

I had sent an exhausted Ladah off to her bunk barely six hours into our journey. Axel had found the pantry by that time but now I suspected that he too, was asleep. My mind and memories betrayed me though; no solace was I to find in sleep. The dreams are unbearable and the guilt is worse. Nightmares plagued me almost every night as my mind felt the need for me to relive the memories over and over again. The guilt was worse. I couldn't control the dreams and nightmares; that was a betrayal that came from inside my mind; but the guilt was there day and night, awake or asleep. Always with me.

A new message flashed across the view port stating that we had only twenty more minutes to our destination. I still could not see any discernable worlds or planets, but we were traveling quite fast. Bored with just sitting there I stood and headed through the sleeping quarters. Ladah's curtain was opened halfway and her left arm was hanging off her bunk. Her face was peaceful as she slept. I rearranged her arm so that it wasn't hanging out anymore and so she wouldn't have a cramp in the muscles later. A rustling sound prompted me to look below Ladah's bunk to Axel's. His curtain was pulled all the way back and he was lying on his back, eyes wide open with a playful smile on his face. Sometimes the looks the guy gave me were just creepy; like even though I'm the Mage with foresight, he knew things that I didn't. It scared the hell out of me sometimes, but there was no way he would ever find that out.

"I thought you'd be asleep." I said to the red-head. Axel shrugged his shoulders in a lazy manner and continued to smile that unsettling smile. _Gods only know what he's thinking about…_ I thought, but I was way too hungry to puzzle over his odd mannerisms. "Where's the pantry or whatever you call a food storage place in a ship like this?" I asked him. Axel remained silent as he pointed behind me. Confused I looked at my own bunk.

The curtain was pulled back and another curtain, one that covered the back wall, was also pulled back. This revealed several cabinet drawers, two of which were open. Containers that looked like liquid packages were hanging on racks. I read the labels for a moment and then pulled two packets off the racks and closed the cabinets before pulling the curtain closed. I settled on my bunk, sitting up since there wasn't another bunk above mine. I took the straws off the back of the packages and poked them through the designated holes on the tops of the packages. I had to admit that the chicken pot pie was a lot better than I thought it would be. The apple juice washed it all down nicely, although there was still a distinct aftertaste that I think was associated with that type of storage.

"How much longer? This journey?" Axel asked looking at me enjoying my dinner. The smile was gone and his eyes looked haunted with his own demons from his past.

"Twenty minutes last I checked." I stated between slurps of my food. I glanced at Ladah's bunk. Her back was to me now and her shoulders were stiff. I knew that she was awake but I let her be. Only the Gods knew what she was thinking, and there was plenty of time to figure each other out later.

None of us had been prepared for the turbulence of the take-off from Destiny Islands. The view port message was too dim for us to gleam just what to expect and so it was no surprise that I discovered the harnesses too late. Axel was knocked unconscious when he was thrown from his chair and collided with the nearest console. Ladah hadn't faired too much better either, getting a long gash on her left leg from a knob on the console right in front of her own chair. As for me, I was knocked on the side of the head by an instrument panel that hadn't been secured properly, but all in all the injuries were minor and the duration of the journey had calmed the soured moods.

Now we were all strapped into the harnesses that kept us in our chairs; Ladah nursing an apple juice package after her nap. The landing turbulence struck with minor knocking and pitching and thankfully all instrument panels were now secured. After ten minutes of rough ups and downs, the ship sailed into the docking procedures smoothly. The process was very fast and all too soon we were faced with an alien world.

Through the view port, we saw that the docking bay was a single vehicle garage with all kinds of panels and consoles that were lit up. Everything looked shiny and brand new, as if this was the first Gummie Ship to land here since it was built. There were no people around though, usually when you're summoned by someone, King or otherwise, you have escorts when you land. At least that was my reasoning. Axel was the first out of his harnesses and helped Ladah undo hers. I slipped out easily and stretched my sore limbs; that small break from my seat earlier for a snack hadn't exercised my muscles as much as it should have and now I had a few cramps. Ignoring them, we all headed for the part of the ship that held the invisible door. We stood there expectantly waiting for it to open, but soon found that it wasn't going to after all. I looked back at the view port to see another message:

_To open the outer door and depressurize the walk-through compartment, please hit the green button on your console. To open the inner hatch, pull the green lever right beside the green button, but only after you push the green button. Thank you and have a pleasant stay at Disney Castle._

The console that the view port showed was the one right in front of my chair and so I walked over and hunted for the green button. There were several of them, but one really big one caught my attention because there was a green lever right beside it. I pushed the button and we all heard a loud burst of air as if it was escaping from a tight compartment. The green button turned red and I figured that was the cue to pull the green lever, which I did. The non-existent door slid open right in front of Ladah and Axel, who seemed quite relieved to find it. We all exited through the double door system and realized just how bad the air in the Gummie Ship had been when we gulped fresh air in the docking bay.

We all looked around expecting to find docking personnel, but no one was around. Our backpacks were waiting on the platform for us as we headed toward the ramp away from the Gummie Ship. Rounding the ramp that headed toward the exit, or what we hoped was the exit, we were greeted by two very exuberant chipmunks. I hadn't expected talking animals and I don't know who of the three of us would, but contrary to what I would have pegged Ladah for, she did not scream.

"Greetings and welcome to Disney Castle. Your ship will be well looked after while you are visiting. Please hurry as the Queen wishes to meet you. I'm Dale and this here is Chip." The small brown red-nosed chipmunk said before bounding off after its partner. I shrugged it off, and then followed the rodents. Out of us all, I think Axel seemed bored with the routine. Ladah seemed over exited about the talking chipmunks but she remained quiet. I didn't have any expectations and so I remained, as usual, quiet as well. Chip and Dale led us out of the Docking Warehouse and into a garden that was full of topiaries. The carved trees and shrubs were a site to look at as they depicted all kinds of animals, even chipmunks. Ladah exclaimed over the skill, but there seemed to be no time for site-seeing as Dale beckoned for us to follow them.

We made our way through the huge castle gates where Chip and Dale departed and where we were greeted by two large dog-like creatures dressed in frilly guard uniforms. These two remained silent as they led us through the castle foyer and up a grand staircase. Before too long, we were in front of two huge doors that spanned up to the high ceiling. The dog-like guards flanked the two doors and then motioned for us to proceed.

"Looks like the audience chamber." Axel remarked as three smartly dressed white ducks opened a small door contained within the huge left door.

"The Queen will see you now." The duck with red feathers in his stately hat announced. The other two ducks, one with green feathers and the other with blue walked around our group and ushered us forward through the small door; Axel had to duck down to avoid hitting his head.

"I thought we were here to meet the King." Ladah stated as we all followed the red-feathered duck across an expansive hall that could have easily held all of the inhabitants of all the islands on our home-world.

"That was my understanding too, that is until I found this note this morning." A twinkling voice greeted them from beside a white dais which held two beautifully ornamented thrones. The dais and the thrones were the only pieces of furniture within the room, and the whole effect greatly dwarfed the blue-gowned mouse. She was unlike anything I had ever seen. She was a mouse, but much bigger than expected. Huge black ears that were set off quite nicely by long flowing brown hair. Crowned with a small simple golden circlet, the picture was royalty. She smiled at us with her dainty hands folded in front of her sapphire blue gown that was accented with gold and jewels. Without consulting the others' reactions, I felt inclined to bow even though she wasn't necessarily my own queen.

"Your Majesty." Ladah said beside me, which made me aware of her and Axel again. The effect must have been overwhelming for them both just as it had been on me. Ladah was standing quite close to me and I could feel her shaking. There was a sound behind me as if one of the white ducks had cleared his beaked throat.

"Guests bow before the Queen." The statement was given from behind, but the twinkling of bells, which turned out to be a laugh issued from the small mouse.

"Sir Huey, that is not necessary. I am not their Queen. I do not rule over Destiny Islands." She said as she walked toward them, leaving the faint shadow of the thrones. Her large eyes were copper colored and they seemed to glow in the light that emanated from the high ceiling windows around the large audience chamber. "Sirs Huey, Luey, and Duey would you please excuse me and my guests." The Queen said with such authority that, I felt, had she commanded me to bow, I would have. The three white ducks bowed to their Queen and then left the room. "As I said before, I was under the impression that you would be meeting my husband and not me today, but I fear that things have changed. Oh, how I do hate the glare from the windows in here, would you please follow me to the library?"

The Queen picked up her dress so that it would not drag the floor and then proceeded to lead us out of the enormous audience chamber and left along a hallway that ended in doors that were more appropriately sized. "I was going to send a messenger to have the meeting changed to the library, but I got the message that you were already here, so I met you where my husband would have met you had he been here. He loves the Audience Chamber, loves the way his voice echoes around the room." She said with her twinkling bell laugh again. The library was not quite as big as the audience chamber, but it was still large. Two levels of book shelves that housed thousands of books. There were three large wooden desks, set around the room and a center area that housed two long couches and two armchairs sitting before a large fireplace.

"This library is enchanting." Ladah said continuing her one-lined sentences. I could tell that she really enjoyed this room. I hadn't pegged her for a reader; she seemed more physically inclined, sporty than nerdy.

"Thank you very much. I spend most of my time these days reading through histories, but my love is reading fantasy…" The Queen trailed off for a minute with a glassy look to her eyes. She then cleared her throat and turned toward us. "I'm Queen Millicent, wife to King William, and co-Ruler of Disney. I welcome you to our home, Disney Castle. A lifetime of peace is what has kept our families happy. I admit that I had longed for this peace to last forever, but sadly nothing lasts forever…"

"Not to be rude, Queenie, but is there a point that we can reach, like, soon?" There was a gasp from Ladah as we both turned to look at Axel behind us. He had a bored expression on his face and his arms were crossed over his white tank-top. "Look, I'm up for saving the world…sss, as much as the next guy, but really, how dire is the situation? I mean the King didn't even show…" Axel trailed off, having got our attention, which I think was his goal.

"You are such an ass!" Ladah exclaimed. I'd been waiting for this actually; I mean the guy just rubs her the wrong way. _But being the peace-keeper of a trio is what your job is…_ I thought as I stepped between the two volatile redheads.

"Please… let's try and keep some peace while the Queen explains…" I said as Axel rolled his eyes and Ladah crossed her arms over her orange top. The glare she was sending Axel would have caught anything on fire.

"Thank you Vincent, but as Axel so bluntly put it, I believe we do need to get to the point." Queen Millicent said with as much levity as one could muster while being laughed at. In my opinion, Axel was just being an ass, as Ladah so eloquently put it. "But as seeing as how you three just met and one of you has a past to reconcile…" _She knows? How can she know? I thought she was just a Queen of this realm, not a mystic… How is it that I came to be here anyway? How do I know the things I know? I just figured it was some powerful all-knowing being who saw that I had potential… One that was forgiving and allowed me to be my original self…_ "… So as I was saying, Axel, Vincent, and Ladah, a little bit of the past is worth listening to." I had missed what she'd said, pulled back into my own thoughts about my past. If she knew, then surely the King did too. _Maybe Axel is here to replace me in this… Maybe that's why I'm peace-keeper right now, to prepare them to depend on each other._

"I'm ready to learn more about…" Ladah stopped; she seemed puzzled as Queen Millicent looked at her curiously. "I mean, learn about… Thing… Things that will help us on our… Journey?" She finished. Although Axel had put me on suspicious alert the moment I met him, I'd known Ladah longer (from afar really, but who's splitting hairs?) and until now I hadn't thought that she'd have a secret… One I didn't know about.

"I understand your eagerness dear, but all things are revealed at the right and true time. I believe my job is to familiarize you with an enemy that we thought long dead and to protect those who cannot protect themselves." Queen Millicent smiled and then motioned for all of us to have a seat on the couch, as she sat in one of the armchairs. Understandably, Axel and Ladah sat as far away from the other as the long couch would allow, and I took the seat between the two. _To head off any physical attacks_…

"Please inform us." I said by way of showing our pleasure in learning and to warn Ladah and Axel not to interrupt again. I was sure that Ladah was just as curious as I was, but Axel seemed to be bored again. I turned my attention to Queen Millicent as she cleared her throat.

"Centuries past there was a darkness that threatened to devour the worlds. As you now know this galaxy is made up of thousands upon thousands of worlds where civilizations live and thrive. This darkness visited several worlds through special doors and in doing so vanquished the worlds while either killing or transferring the survivors to other worlds. Of course the darkness was not an entity of itself, but made up of creatures, that in reality, ate hearts. They took the essence of what people store in their hearts, their hopes and fears, loves and triumphs, and left the person hollow… without purpose. The creatures, once acquiring the heart, would then set upon others… always devouring, always hungry for the next heart. The people who's hearts were taken would exist for a while as empty shells, unmoving and purposeless; but eventually they themselves would hunger for heart, any heart and thus don the mantle of their own attackers and hunt for hearts themselves. We call these vile loathsome creatures Heartless." Queen Millicent paused and it seemed to take quite a lot of effort to continue with her story.

"You could tell when a world was doomed to destruction by the amount of Heartless found there. No inhabitants and tons of Heartless meant that the world would be devoured very soon. Some worlds, however, were savable. A hero, someone special who can wield a special type of weapon, is able to vanquish Heartless and thus free the worlds from the darkness. The problem is that the hero is a rarity. He or she only comes when the worlds are in dire need. When all but a small ounce of hope remains to the peoples of the doomed worlds then a prophecy is sometimes fulfilled. The arrival of a Hero is always foreseen, but the Hero does not always succeed. Our past is a happy one because the Hero was able to vanquish the darkness and all its rulers. Some of you may know this as a certain legend, and as legends go can be believed or not. Now then the prophecy says that one family let a secret, a rumor, pass down with each generation. This secret gives certain details about the wars that no one else knows; also according to this prophecy that the new Hero will be one of the decedents of the family with the secret." Queen Millicent paused as she looked at each of us in turn.

"The darkness has returned and with it a new threat to the Six Sacred Princesses of Heart. These Princesses each hold the key to unlocking the light with which the darkness can take control of and rule the worlds. The new Hero must come forward to fulfill their destiny. The Princesses must be protected. Now then, the history part of the discussion is over. Can anyone tell me the name of the Hero's best friend?" Abruptly, Queen Millicent stopped talking. She looked at me and I shrugged. I knew not who she was talking about, though I did know that the Hero had a best friend. Next, the Queen looked at Axel, who seemed to be confused… Either that or so bored that he started practicing different expressions. Axel shrugged and Queen Millicent turned a knowing eye at Ladah. There is no way to describe her appearance other than ashen. Her face was pale and her eyes huge. She shook her head minutely and then closed her slightly parted lips.

"Riku." She voiced with little conviction. Queen Millicent smiled, though sadly. Ladah looked scared.

"Welcome to Disney Castle, Ladah, Hero of this Time."

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Author's Note

I'm sorry that this took so long. This chapter was hard to commit to. I didn't actually feel like writing it. Lazy, I know… NEway, I'm almost done with chapter 8 so watch for updates!! Enjoy. Show your love and review!


	7. Chapter 8

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Torn Apart**

**By: SMS**

**Chapter 8**

_I knew the answer… So why didn't I say anything? Because you know that you are NOT the Hero of this time. You are the Guardian of said Hero… But why does it have to be her, with her red hair like Kairi's and aqua eyes like Riku's? Why? Stop! If you don't stop and pay attention then Queenie will figure out that you know more than you should… Vincent already knows, I think…_ My thoughts rolled around my head as Ladah's shell-shocked eyes raced from me to Vincent and then back and forth several times. I had the feeling that she wanted some confirmation that she was not who the Queen said she was. I stayed quiet. Vincent was her Hero Support and I was the Side-Kick. Two very different rolls. I fight with my mouth shut… _Though I'm finding it harder and harder to control my sarcasm... _and Vincent is her moral support, magic and verbal showers… _Why am I here? Why? Why didn't they send Roxas to do this sappy crap? I'm a fighter! A killer! NOT A BABYSITTER!!_

"I'm the…"

"Hero, yes." Vincent said to Ladah's half spoken sentence.

"And you two…"

"Knew. Yes." Vincent finished again as Ladah pointed to him and me. I smiled and waved as her eyes caught mine. It was enough to knock her out of the stupid phase. Her aqua eyes flashed into a hard stare and I could tell that she wanted to snap something out at me. Thankfully, being in the presence of her Mousiness, Ladah kept her tongue.

"So I'm the Hero. What do I have to do? Other than fight some heart… less." Ladah asked turning her attention to the Queen. I could sense that she still wanted to say something to me, but I let it go. I was here on a job and no amount of baby tantrums and bickering from her Hero-ness was going to deter me. Who knows, maybe this gig lines me up for a better skit in the next life.

"Heartless, which will be found in almost every place you will visit… But first I think a few things should be collected. Of course you will be able to take the Gummie Ship with you to aide in your travels, but first you must understand your assignment. The Six Princesses I mentioned are each on a separate world and must all be brought to the castle for protection. Some of them will have their own protectors, but, unfortunately, they are not allowed to leave their worlds. Only the Princesses may leave. You, Ladah, with your Guardian and your Mage have your assignment. Now all you need is the proper attire and equipment. And by equipment, of course I mean weapons." Queen Millicent said which of course caught my attention. I'd been missing my little weapons and upon hearing that I would soon have a new one to play with, I was quite happy… Well happier than I've been since arriving on this love-fest-of-animals.

Her Queenly-ness stood up and as if on cue Vincent, Ladah and I all stood at the same time. Gave me the willies to be so connected with these two, but who's splitting hairs? I get a weapon!

-

Twenty minutes later had us riding an elevator to floors deep underneath the castle. There were many that the elevator stopped at, but the Queen always punched the last button to get the car moving again before the doors could open. I had to admit that I was quite curious as to what could be hidden so deeply underground. _Treasures perhaps? More weapons? The King's Harem? _My mind was doing flip-flops at the possibilities. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors creaked open. Queen Millicent left the car with the rest of us following her. The new floor looked like a vast library with floor to ceiling shelves much like the library we left. But unlike that one, this one had podiums with glass cases over them, much like you'd see in a museum. Some of the shelves were stone and had holes in them instead of rows of books. These holes, upon closer inspection, contained old rolled up pieces of paper.

"This is a very impressive archive you have here your majesty." Vincent said in his most butt-kisser-y voice he had. The guy was tough but sometimes he made me think of a little girl. The Queen chuckled, if half-heartedly.

"Unfortunately, all you see here. This whole floor is devoted to past wars and battles, not only on my home world but on others as well. This Hall of Heroes, as it's sometimes called, was established a long time ago. So that in times like these, we can study past battles and gleam advantages to certain situations… Or maybe just to keep from making the same mistakes as we have in the past. The last three battles, or what is known as the Last War, are located in this section over here." She said as we came upon a roped-off hallway that branched from the rest of the halls. Unhooking the rope from one side, she let it fall as we all walked onward. The section had been in shadow, but now lights overhead came to life as we walked further and further down the hall. Each bare span of wall between the bookshelves was covered with paintings and pictures of certain places. Some I recognized because I had been there, some I didn't. There was one picture that stopped me. The copper eyes stared into mine as the rest of our party continued on. An unbidden memory came to mind.

"_You have your orders. I expect you to carry them out just like all the other members do. You are no one special and we need him." The tall cloaked figure said as Diz sat in his chair in front of the computer screen. As always Xemnas was the leader, Diz taking the backseat on his own plan. I couldn't understand it. I knew that he was superior but why then would he let the weasel Xemnas take over?_

"_I don't understand why he had to be sacrificed. He was one of the best Members, way better than Zexion, why send him away!" I yelled. I was upset and it was no wonder, Roxas was the only friend I had in this hell-hole. There was a crack and a broken pencil fell to the floor beside Diz's feet. He slowly rose and I took a step back as did Xemnas._

"_The reason Roxas must be sacrificed is because he_ is_ a part of Sora. Without Roxas, Sora will not be whole. He won't heal and he'll never be able to kill more Heartless, which is what we need him to do. You will have to cope Axel; Roxas must be sacrificed for the greater good." Diz paused a moment and then continued, "You know, as well as I, that if the choice was reversed, Roxas would sell you out to regain his heart. It's the way of life for a Nobody. All we want to do is exist."_

_Defeated, but not wanting to accept it, I stormed out of the room. I would do my job, I knew this, and there was no way I would give up the chance at a heart… But it still hurt like hell._

"Axel?" Vincent's voice broke the memory and I shook my head. Casting one last glance at the good, yet evil-rooted bastard who'd entrapped me, I ran ahead to catch up with the others. The end of the long hallway ended in a gallery of sorts with multiple glass enclosures that held books or other things on pedestals. We followed the Queen past three such pedestals, two of which held worn leather journals. The third one was empty. Ladah paused to study the two journals that were there, but she quickly caught up with the rest of us.

"Oh, my." Queen Millicent said as she placed a hand to her breast. Before her were three other glass enclosures, but there weren't any pedestals, only racks. "These are the ancient weapons of the Heroes of the past. I'm afraid though that one does not belong… or else it has changed to better suit its new master." The Queen leaned toward the closest glass enclosure and pressed a switch that was invisible to the rest of us. She picked up the first weapon by the handle and then laid the blade across her other hand. Turning toward Ladah, the Queen bowed her head as she offered the weapon. "This is the Keyblade. It passes from the Hero of the past to the Hero of now. Use it well and its many forms will aid you."

Ladah cocked her brows at the awkward weapon. The hilt was that of a sword and would fit any hand, but the magic within the weapon would always return it to its true master. The blade part was just as deadly as a regular sword but wrought to look like a huge golden key, for it too was used to lock or unlock certain doors, as I well remembered. Taking the weapon by the hilt, Ladah swung it around experimentally.

"It's very light." She said in awe as her swings became more erratic and careless. The Queen took a step back as the arc of the sword smashed toward and through the glass of the second weapon. "Oops." Ladah said pointing the Keyblade down by her side. Queen Millicent giggled.

"It will take practice to master the Keyblade. One does not know automatically how to fight when armed for the first time ever. Besides, you made my job easier." Turning toward the destroyed glass case, the Queen picked up the shiny golden rod that held a glowing red orb at the end. As with the Keyblade she held it by the hilt and placed the orb in her other hand, she turned to Vincent and offered him the weapon. "This is the Mage's Wand. It too, like the third weapon, has changed to best fit its new master. I know not why it is golden with a scarlet orb. Only you, Vincent, will discover that." She handed the weapon off and I could tell by the shine in Vincent's already red eyes, that the rod held imaginable power.

"Thank you very much. There is much more power stored in this than I may ever need." He said holding the Wand in front of him, but his eyes were clouded now. _I wonder what that means... _I thought as I turned to the last case. It had still been in shadow, but now the light above it was lit. I smiled.

"And this one must be mine." I said more to myself than to anyone else. The Queen walked around Vincent and stood in front of the case.

"Yes, Axel it is, but as I said this weapon has changed. The Hero of the past who wielded this one had no need for attacking opponents. His job was to guard the Keyblade wielder, thus he was armed with a shield only. Since it has changed, I would imagine that the battles you will be facing will be harder and you will need a weapon to attack. But let me warn you," She said as she turned her back to the case and faced me. Her brown eyes were intense and I could feel the power she wielded as Queen in her words. "Your job is _still _the Guardian, thus you **must**protect Ladah at all costs. I fear that if she fails there will not be another chance. This is it." Her words stilled my inner thoughts of deception and flippant adventuring. Her words took me back to when I realized that Xemnas was lying about my heart and that the only way I could redeem myself was to help Sora. Her words took me back to my sacrifice, of which I wished to forget. Solemn now, I waited patiently for her to open the case and retrieve the weapon.

Queen Millicent turned back to the case and unlocked it as she had the Keyblade one. She had to use two hands to pick up the scarlet six foot staff. The hand holds were two feet apart and at each end was what I assumed was a tribute to my weapons of old: two half wheels with spikes. "This is a deadly weapon to one who does not know how to use it. The Guardian Staff has changed and only the one who wields it, Axel, may know what this change means. Use it well and do not forget your true title." The Queen said as she offered the weapon to me. I took it by the hand-holds, which were just the right size for my long thin hands. I stepped back a ways as to not knock anything over and experimented with the weight to which I found both wheels equal. I had no experience with a weapon this long and I knew that I would not be able to throw it like I did my others, but I must possess some skills, otherwise the shield would not have changed.

"Thank Queen Millicent. We receive these gifts…"

"These are not gifts, Ladah. This is not a party. This is very serious and I do know that you were only thanking me, but think of this: If times were not like this, we would never have met. If darkness did not draw near and more powerful, I would not have to give you these burdens. Yes, they are burdens. They are weapons. Not weapons to defend, but weapons to kill, thus I do not see them as gifts. I see them as curses. Something that will ultimately help you lose a part of yourselves. I am saddened that I have to give them to you, but I also know that because I have to, and because you have to use them, our worlds will be better off." And with that she turned and headed back the way we'd come.

Each of us clutched the weapon that was, what, destined? Gifted? Chosen for us, we followed the Queen back to the elevators. "You will have plenty of time to train with your weapons later, in fact Merlin is expecting you, but that is later. You have your weapons, now it is time for your armor."

Less than ten minutes later found us in the North Wing of Disney Castle heading down regular hallways that housed rooms for guests. I was less impressed with our surroundings, and unlike the Keyblade, which Ladah was swinging back and forth effortlessly, this damn staff was heavy. My right arm already ached holding it against my shoulder. I tried walking it along, but every time the top most spike hit the floor or carpet, it left a sizable hole, which thankfully Vincent used his new Wand to fix. Finally, I figured out that I could rest the sizable thing on my shoulders off the floor and let my left and right arms as well as my back take the weight, but I did wander just how I was going to keep up my strength while fighting with it.

"I have three very handy seamstresses and each one has decided to take on one of you instead of all on one at a time. I hear it will take less time to craft your armor that way. Hurry on, Vincent you have the pink door, Axel you have the blue one, and Ladah you get the green one. Merlin will wait for you in the library." Queen Millicent said as she smiled to each of us. Ladah waved as the Queen walked off and Vincent headed for his pink door with no complaint. Ladah looked at the pink door and made an icky face toward it. I couldn't help it.

"Awe, pink's the Princess' favorite color, isn't it?" I asked, before ducking through the blue door, just in time too as I felt and heard what I think was the Keyblade strike the door. Smiling a satisfied smile, I turned around and looked the room over. Finding a suitable couch to lay my staff on, I looked through the only other door in the room, to find a water closet. Turning back I wandered where my seamstress was. I nearly tripped over her as I headed back to the couch. A tiny blue-clothed woman was sitting on the floor beside the door I'd just checked.

"Miserable… That no good… Pink is not better… Blue is prettier… Blue is girl-ier… Not only for boys… I'll show her…" The little woman was mumbling about something, but I nudged her to get her attention anyway. She gave a soft squeak as she looked up at me. Then with a hard scowl on her face she flitted up to my height. "Bout time!"

"You're a fairy?" I asked dumbly, noticing for the first time the iridescent blue wings on her shoulders. She looked at me with an even deeper scowl and then pulled a face I'd seen Ladah do a lot. One of those 'well-aren't-you-a-dumb-ass' looks.

"No, because I have power of the color blue, it allows me to hijack fairy wings and use them to my own biding! Of course I'm a fairy!" She was practically yelling, but only in an old lady way which was really just scolding. I tried my damnedest not to laugh. She was mad about something. "You'll be my subject then? I'm Meriwether and I'm to create your armor. Stand up straight with your arms out." She instructed and I was just too tickled not to do as she asked. Something really was bothering little Miss Meriwether.

"Yes, that's good. My you are a little thing… Well not little, you have to be close to seven feet tall, but terribly thin. Still it won't be too hard to…" She trailed off as an unrecognizable noise sounded from the room next door. This only intensified the look of disgust on Little Miss Fairy and she started raising her voice again. "Thin, thin, thin… All I ever get is the thin ones… Ooh! I'll show Flora for sure. I won't use blue at all, well maybe just a little blue. Do you like blue? Well doesn't really matter does it? It's me who's designing your armor. I'm afraid you're stuck with what I give you."

I was too stunned to say anything to Meriwether's tirade. Apparently this Flora was the reason behind her bad mood. I stood as still as I could, but I still felt pin pricks from the different fittings. The blue smoke was beginning to cause my eyes to water, for she hadn't thought to open a window for clear air. Finally, I think she was satisfied because she stopped muttering and stood still.

"Twist, turn, move. Tell me how it feels." Meriwether instructed me and I did as she asked. "I don't like the colors!" She said unexpectedly and waved her wand again. The light blues and dark greys were gone, replaced by reds and yellows that even I could see clashed with my hair. Another flick of the wand and copious amounts of blue smoke and I was clothed in silvers and greys, which I thought looked okay, but she didn't. Ten more minutes of switching colors there came a knock on the door. Meriwether turned and scowled. "I'm finished when I'm finished!" She scolded to whoever had knocked. She then raised her eyebrows and flitted over to my Staff lying on the couch. "Is this the weapon you were given?" I nodded and she slapped her forehead with her wand hand sending blue sparks flying. "Of course. What better colors? I can't think of any better colors that go with hair as red as yours and this scarlet weapon."

Another flick of her wrist and my clothes changed in color, for what I suspected would be the last time. "There, yes. That suits you just right." Smiling for the first time, Meriwether motioned for me to open the water closet door. On the back, which I had failed to notice was a full length mirror. There I stood in none of the clothes I had been wearing twenty minutes ago. My hair was the same but now it was held by a black thong instead of a rubber band. I surveyed the clothes or armor as Queen Millicent had called it.

I had a black tight fitted ribbed vest that zipped up the front. It didn't have any ornamentation on it; it was plain black, except where the light hit the ribs, in which it lightened to a dark grey. The collar was zippered too, but it wasn't closed, instead it was unzipped to my collarbone. I had no undershirt on and my upper arms were bare. I had a pair of gloves, or what the Queen would call gauntlets, though they looked like regular gloves to me. Black with silver knuckles to protect my hands. "Those gloves are weaved with a spell of gravity. Anything you pick up will seem much lighter to you now so be careful. Just as super-strength takes getting used to, so do these gloves."

Meriwether said as I surveyed my pants. They were loose fitted, snug around the waist though. Deep pockets on my hips and in the back as well as cargo pockets on the thighs. They were a deep blue that almost looked black, but the black of my vest told the difference. The legs were just wide enough to settle over my boots, which felt good. They were nondescript black and durable. "The pockets in your pants are weaved with a spell of space. Whatever you need you can place in your pockets without feeling weighed down. To retrieve an item, stick your hand in your pocket and simply call the item to your hand. Any object placed in any pocket can be retrieved from any other pocket. So you can not lose items as long as you remember that they are there."

I nodded appreciatively. I liked my outfit and it was a good thing too because I had the feeling that it would be the only set of clothes I would need. "Your boots are woven with the spell of speed. You are not super fast, but no weight that you hold on your person will obstruct the speed at which you move unhindered. You will move as if you are naked, which I've heard from others is a very handy thing. Your thong, the piece of fabric in your hair, will never break and can be used to latch onto unattainable objects. Just toss one end at the object, it will extend on its own, and latch onto whatever is available. It's very useful on flat walls as well. Those are all the gifts that I could weave into your armor. There is of course the garden variety of shields and magic protection that goes into all my clothes. The others are waiting for you."

"Thank you." I said, meaning it. This little Fairy, even though she'd been ticked at this Flora had done what she'd said she would. She created my armor and for some reason I found that very endearing. _Maybe I don't have to be such a cold bastard all the time… _I thought as I headed for my Staff. Testing the gloves for the first time, I was amazed that my arm muscles did not protest against the weight that I thought would be there. Now it felt like I was carrying a feather instead of a six foot Staff. I now knew what Meriwether had meant about learning to control myself with these gloves, I would easily break things.

"One more thing. Your shirt, or rather your ribbed vest… It was not new. I made that vest for a very special person once and it served him well. When he passed, he sent the vest back to me and told me in a letter that someone who needed it would one day come for it. I knew it was meant for you. I can sense your troubled past… life? Anyway, the vest will protect against any chest wounds that your heart can deflect. It uses the strength of your heart as a shield, which if I do say so myself, was a pretty hefty piece of magic. Any wounds you get on your upper body will like-wise be healed by the magic as well. But remember, for this is important: The magic only works with the strength of your heart. It takes a lot of faith to keep your heart strong. Lack in faith and one strike will kill you." The little fairy said gravely. I smiled and tried to laugh it off, but something she'd said struck a note. _Was my new heart strong enough? _

I walked out the blue door leaving behind my hot tempered seamstress and was greeted by two very loud awes. I looked up to see two more fairies, one pink-clothed and one green-clothed. Their wide staring eyes said it all. Little Meriwether had indeed showed them. I smiled and started twisting and turning as if to stretch out my muscles, but I was really showing off my clothes to them.

"That's why I couldn't use it…" Both little fairies said at the same time. "She gave it to him…"

Then I caught sight of Vincent. Forgetting what the little fairies were saying, I noticed that I had competition on who looked better in the new armor. I would of course vote for myself, but what would Ladah say? Vincent was sporting a brand new red bandana around his head, exactly like the one he'd left back on Destiny Isle. He had a tight fitting white slinky-kind of shirt with three-quarter sleeves that showed his muscles off better than my vest did. Attached to the white shirt about the midriff was a red band that looked to have no working purpose that I could see. His pants were like mine, but instead of dark blue, his were dark brown; darker than his hair. There was also a red holster attached to his upper thigh that I knew was for his brand new Mage's Wand. He sported little black gloves too. His boots too were exactly like mine. As to the magic weaved into his clothing, I could only guess that they were similar to mine, but more for magical enhancements and protections.

"Wow, I don't think you've ever dressed so smartly Vinn… er Vincent." I said almost slipping and calling him, 'Vinny' again. I flipped my collar as he smiled at me.

"I could say the same to you." He said good-naturedly. "It's amazing what they can do to clothing. I never would have thought to enchant my cloak back home." For a minute I thought I saw a blush cross his face. "I tried to get Flora to give me a cloak, but she said…" Vincent trailed off as the pink-clothed Fairy came flittering by.

"I told him that his backside was too sight-ly to hide it behind a cloak. And besides, he doesn't need one. The shirt has all the protection that he needs. He doesn't need to hide behind something extra." She smiled and beamed at her creation of armor, but frowned again when she caught sight of me. "I think it was quite careless of Meriwether to give _you_ that vest. Fauna and I…"

"You leave me out of this!" The green-clothed Fairy, Fauna, said from across the hallway in front of the green door. "You know just as well that we both tried to use the same vest. I think that in the end the vest chose for itself." She said with a glint in her eyes. Just then Ladah emerged from behind the green door. She was smiling insanely and so I knew that she must just _love_ her armor. I rolled my eyes.

"Wow, I have to say that Miss Fauna has out done herself. You look great Ladah." Vincent said yet again playing to the girl's ego. Although looking back at her dress, something in her clothes made me think of Sora. Her black gloves were kind of like Vincent's with the silver knuckle savers as I like to call them. She wore a nondescript grey top, sleeveless from what little I could see because it was covered by a blue and black jacket like thing that was also sleeveless. Her shirt was wrapped with dark blue ribbons or straps that crisscrossed over her stomach. She had on a very short red skirt that would probably show her ass if not for the black tights she wore underneath. The tights only reached to her calves though and the rest of her legs were uncovered all the way to her shoes, which were not boots at all, but little girly shoes. In all I would say the outfit made her look girly while at the same time warning off people that she could indeed kick their asses. _If she knew how to kick asses, that is…_I thought smiling. _It would be so gratifying to actually go up against her… _Knowing that I had years of training on her._ Knock her right on her black-tighted ass!_

"Thanks Vincent. You look… nice, really nice. I don't think I've ever seen you dress like, well, that." She said going all blushy and girly. _Oh god, kill me now…_ "Wow, I must say Axel the clothes actually fit you now." She said laughing. My thoughts went back to the too-short shorts that Vincent had had me wearing when we'd first met her _high_-ness.

"Hardy-har-har… I think maybe your shirt needs to be longer, can't have the whole world seeing your twelve-year-old bottom now can we?" I think the best part of my day is when I rag on her. That fire-y glint in those aqua eyes, the way her cheeks redden with rage, the intent to kill me plainly written on her face; it is such a nice feeling. Before I knew it though she'd swung that damned Keyblade around her head and had aimed for my own; instinctively I swung my staff around my own head and covered myself with it using both my hands. Her attack hadn't been totally unexpected, but even as I was in the moment of defending myself, I had to stay off the instinct to attack back. The glowing fire that lit my eyes and once my hands and weapons were right on the surface. It took a lot of effort to recognize her face as a friend.

"I am not twelve!" She said, seeming to think my expression was one of fear when in fact it had been of concentration. I know I had felt the heat of the fire. It was so close. _Could I possibly still have that power? I'll have to see later..._ I thought as she backed off. "Come on. Merlin's waiting for us. Besides, I wouldn't want to kill my _Guardian_…"

"Ladah…"

"Leave it. Let the Princess think what she wants." I said to Vincent as we followed the hot-headed Hero. _I'm not the only one who needs practice at companionship… Though I had goaded her into it…My fire? Do I still have my fire? If so what does that mean? I didn't have any power before I was an Organization Member, could this mean that I'm still connected to them then? So many questions with not enough answers._

**

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****Author's Note**

**This chapter came off way too easy I think… NEway, I never realized how hard it would be to write chapter nine. I'm having the most difficult time… I was waiting to post this chapter until I finished Chapter 9, but seeing as how that won't be NE time soon… Review! I commandeth you…eth.**


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